Saturday, August 14, 2004

Making The Cut

Tiger Woods did it again yesterday at the PGA Championship. With six holes left to play and a Friday "trunk slam" staring him in the face, he carded three birdies and three pars to keep his extraordinary record of "made cuts" in tact.

"I saw a lot of you guys [reporters] coming out on the last few holes," said Woods, "and I just wanted to ruin your day. . . . I wasn't playing that well, so I had to somehow just grind it out, be patient and hopefully things would come around. And they did. . . . I think that's the one thing I'm most proud of." As well he might be.

The golfing press -- the largest collection of half-wits this side of the National Press Club in Washington -- had spent most of Friday gloating that Woods' "made cuts" streak was finally coming to an end. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Bob Costas, Mind Reader

NBC Olympics anchors Katie Couric and Bob Costas seemed fairly certain that the US team would not be well received by the huge crowd at last night's Opening Ceremonies in Athens. When Team USA was, in fact, greeted with a sustained and clamorous ovation, Mr. Costas sought to explain.

The Greeks, you see, can separate their love for the American people from the policies of the United States government. The warm reception they gave to Team USA should not in any way be construed as an endorsement of those policies.

Well thanks, Bob, for clearing that up. God forbid anyone might support the policies of the US government as it wages a global war against Islamic fascism. Mr. Costas's ability to read the minds of 75,000 people he's never met is remarkable. He has a big future as a political pundit.

I'm a little confused by Mark Halperin's assertion that the presidential race is now "Kerry's to lose." Isn't the Iron Law of Conventional Wisdom that "whoever leads in the Gallup Poll after Labor Day wins the election? " Isn't President Bush leading in the Gallup Poll now? Isn't it likely that President Bush's lead in the Gallup Poll will increase somewhat following the Republican National Convention and the 9/11 anniversary? If President Bush is up by, say, six in the Gallup Poll after Labor Day, won't he be the favorite to win in November?

(The answer to all these questions, in case you were wondering, is "yes.")

Friday, August 13, 2004

First Day StoriesAre never the real story, of course. One suspects that Governor Jim McGreevey has long been aware that he was and is "a gay American." One further suspects that a certain New Jersey developer will rise to the surface of this tawdry tale in short order. And that what we learn as we go along will confirm all of our worst suspicions about New Jersey politics.

And while you are there, you might want to read the NYT's equally remarkable (for different reasons) piece on the UN's oil-for-food scandal. Apart from being about six months late to the story, the NYT somehow manages to not credit all of the hard work done on this story by other news organizations. Of course, the NYT never credits other news organizations in its pages (unless it absolutely has to), but in this case the omission is so egregious that it merits some kind of special prize for chutzpah.